Two-day national webinar concludes at Rajiv Gandhi University (RGU)

RONO HILLS: The two-day national webinar on 'Promoting Mental Health During COVID-19 Crisis' organized by Department of Psychology in collaboration with Department of Education, RGU, concluded with the valedictory session on Thursday.

Conveying his message to the participants, RGU Vice Chancellor Prof. Saket Kushwaha stated that crisis management is an art that motivates people to work, and also develops their personality for there is no better manager of the self than the person himself/herself. Prof. Kushwaha also called upon the audience to consider the opposing voices in a positive spirit as opposition is good for development. RGU Registrar Prof. Tomo Riba, congratulated the organizers for successfully conducting the national webinar in the present situation.

Former Dean, Faculty of Education, RGU, Prof. Jayadeba Sahoo, pointed out that there is a three-fold increase in the cases of stress and anxiety during COVID-19. Prof. Sahoo called upon the participants for inculcating positive thoughts. He shared 10 tips on how one should inculcate constructive thoughts and transform these into deeds, stating that thoughts have constructive capacity and are strong enough to constitute health and happiness for all. Among the 10 positive affirmations are 'I am powerful', 'I am happy', 'I am peaceful' and 'I am full of energy. Such positive affirmations should be the recurring mantras in our minds before going to bed and immediately after getting up each morning to generate positive aura and vibrations for mental health irrespective of age and occupations, he added.

The welcome address was delivered by Dr Kaushalendra Pratap Singh, HoD (in-charge) Psychology, RGU. Pointing out that mental health is a largely ignored area globally in general and India in particular, he said that as a result the young generation — especially the youth — are increasingly facing the brunt of acute psychological and emotional crises like anxiety, stress and depression. He referred to the Lancet Commission report that refers to suicide as the second leading cause of death among youth in our country and said that it is a matter of concern. He called upon the academia as well as the mental health professionals to tackle this issue on a priority basis.

There was a lively participation of the youths during the technical sessions in terms of their intricate queries and lived experiences. The resource persons dwelt with their posers.

Co-coordinators — Dr KP Singh and Yuma Narah — shared a brief report of the webinar during which the highlights of the five technical sessions during the two-day national webinar were reiterated for the benefit of the participants.

Four participants representing the four different zones of the country also shared their overall experience and learning of the national webinar. Sharing their experiences, participants expressed their views and satisfaction over their participation in the said course and found this webinar extremely helpful to cope up with the present scenario.  

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